Man sentenced for unusual murder

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A Colorado man has recently been sentenced to 48 years in prison for killing 19-year-old Natalie Bollinger. The man, Joseph Lopez, pled guilty to second degree murder but is being charged with first degree murder. Lopez claims he had killed her in response to her Craigslist ad asking to be executed. The ad was titled “I want to put a hit on myself.” Lopez also says the teen provided the gun which he used. In exchange for pleading guilty, Lopez avoided the death sentence.

Even with the unusual ad to be executed, the police say Lopez responded inhumanely and should have contacted the police or some other form of assistance. Instead Lopez used this ad as an excuse to kill someone. Chief deputy District Attorney Ally Baber said, “He didn’t respond as a human being, he responded as a predator.” The investigators also found texts messages between Lopez and Bollinger on the teen’s phone leading up the incident where she had once again stated that she wanted to be executed. Baber also said Lopez “had hours and hours of opportunity to do the right thing and save her life but he chose to murder her.”

Bollinger’s body was found just outside of Denver in a wooded area after the teen was reported missing. The Bollinger family is also very unhappy with the outcome of this and the father is mad that Lopez escaped the death sentence. Father Ted Bollinger is quoted saying, “There’s no justice in this. And for Adams County to have enough evidence to convict him and then make him an offer is a spit in my family’s face.” He went as far as to say this plea deal is “a deal with the devil.” He claims his daughter was taken advantage of and he wants an eye for an eye. Do you agree with the plea deal or do you believe Lopez deserves the death sentence?